sim111
05-28-2008, 02:50 PM
I have been involved in girl's TRUE AAU for around 10 years, 7 as an assistant coach. I have had the opportunity to absorb some things over the years, therefore I consider myself very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of what goes on around here and the mindset of most people. Some people consider winning games, tournaments and qualifiers a big deal and I love winning just as much as anyone, in fact we have won many games, tournaments and qualifiers over the years, even won a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP one year and placing second in one last year. Does it feel good, well at the time it did but the excitement has long gone but I guess that would make our TEAM successful
I have witnessed 3 girls from our club put on some of the most brilliant individual performances, each kid scoring at least 40, two on seperate occasions in the qualifiers, while we were heavy underdogs. We have had goo gobs of kids make all district, one all city, a few make all region, 3 make all state. We have had an All American and a couple of kids who were nominated for Mc Donalds All American, one a Mickey D finalist. We have also had numerous kids go on to play at the next level, in fact since 2005, we have had over 30 kids who either played for us or who we assisted go on to play at the next level, so looking at it from that standpoint, several kids have been successful.
Well the story I am about to tell will be short and blunt and out of all the success we have had as a team, this ranks right up there with any underdog story about rising to the top. This is a story of a kid, Diante Clay, who refused to give up, who refused to quit even though things looked bleak at times. A kid who bounced around AAU teams but never found the right fit, until us, either being shuffled off to teams whose primary use was to funnel cash to the main squad or playing for guys that were in it for the quick hit to the ATM. Her mom is a friend and she needed some help so we took her daughter into the organization. Diante traveled with us to several showcase events and at times, I was probably too hard on the kid, in fact I know I was. I would call her Tyra or Beyonce, she reminds of a model and or singer, to upset her into playing basketball like I knew she could. This kid was told she wouldn't make her HS team which was a strong statement to lay on a kid her junior year, however hat HS team was one of the top teams in the country not to mention her position was already loaded with girls who played varsity the previous year. Diante probably could have taken it in stride and stopped right there however did she take that and quit? No, she tried out with all the other players who wanted to play varsity, showed the coaches she was not giving up no matter what they told her and she made the team. Now even though she made the team, she wasn't on any all district squads, in fact she barely played but she stuck it out whereas many seniors would have given up and spent their time enjoying themselves. Diante didn't give up and now she has pulled it off with a scholaraship to play ball at the next level.
I don't know what success means to some of you, but I doubt if this kid can tell you how many AAU games she won with us, how many AAU tournaments she won, how much she remembered about coming in second in BOB last year or even which one of our HS/AAU teams she played on last year, because she played wherever we needed her. My friends, this is a success story and even if she didn't get the scholarship, it would be one because she competed, she gave it her all, she never complained and she never quit.
I have witnessed 3 girls from our club put on some of the most brilliant individual performances, each kid scoring at least 40, two on seperate occasions in the qualifiers, while we were heavy underdogs. We have had goo gobs of kids make all district, one all city, a few make all region, 3 make all state. We have had an All American and a couple of kids who were nominated for Mc Donalds All American, one a Mickey D finalist. We have also had numerous kids go on to play at the next level, in fact since 2005, we have had over 30 kids who either played for us or who we assisted go on to play at the next level, so looking at it from that standpoint, several kids have been successful.
Well the story I am about to tell will be short and blunt and out of all the success we have had as a team, this ranks right up there with any underdog story about rising to the top. This is a story of a kid, Diante Clay, who refused to give up, who refused to quit even though things looked bleak at times. A kid who bounced around AAU teams but never found the right fit, until us, either being shuffled off to teams whose primary use was to funnel cash to the main squad or playing for guys that were in it for the quick hit to the ATM. Her mom is a friend and she needed some help so we took her daughter into the organization. Diante traveled with us to several showcase events and at times, I was probably too hard on the kid, in fact I know I was. I would call her Tyra or Beyonce, she reminds of a model and or singer, to upset her into playing basketball like I knew she could. This kid was told she wouldn't make her HS team which was a strong statement to lay on a kid her junior year, however hat HS team was one of the top teams in the country not to mention her position was already loaded with girls who played varsity the previous year. Diante probably could have taken it in stride and stopped right there however did she take that and quit? No, she tried out with all the other players who wanted to play varsity, showed the coaches she was not giving up no matter what they told her and she made the team. Now even though she made the team, she wasn't on any all district squads, in fact she barely played but she stuck it out whereas many seniors would have given up and spent their time enjoying themselves. Diante didn't give up and now she has pulled it off with a scholaraship to play ball at the next level.
I don't know what success means to some of you, but I doubt if this kid can tell you how many AAU games she won with us, how many AAU tournaments she won, how much she remembered about coming in second in BOB last year or even which one of our HS/AAU teams she played on last year, because she played wherever we needed her. My friends, this is a success story and even if she didn't get the scholarship, it would be one because she competed, she gave it her all, she never complained and she never quit.